Primer for ordnance.



Patented Dec. 3| VON- GUBTZ.

PRIMER FOB ORDNAILCE.

filed Sept. s, 1900.

(Application 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 690,268. Patented Dec. 3|, lam.

' c; voneomz.

PRIMER FOR ORDNANCE.

- (Application filed Sept, 28, 1900.)

(No Model.)

' sary for an electrical primer to be such that to the rear shell, apercussion-cap Z -,'and anllN TED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

SKODAlVERKE AOTIENGESELLSCHAFT IN PILSEN, OF PILSEN, AUSTRIA- HUNGARY, AFIRM.

PRIMAERY FOR ORDNANCE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 690,2 dated December1901; Applicatioh filed September 28, 1900. SerialNo. 31,429. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CONSTANTIN VON GoRTz, a subject of the Emperor ofAustria-Hungary, 4 residing atVienna, in the Province of Lower Austria,in the Empire of Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Primersfor Ordnance; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to letters and figures of-reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

I11 order to combine certainty of firing with the advantages ofelectrical primers for ordnance with certainty of ignition, it isnecesincase of a failure of the electrical firing the charge can beimmediately fired mechanically (by percussion) without changing any partof the primer. \Vhen metal cartridgecases are not used, this object canbe efi'ected by means of a compound primer, such as hereinafterdescribed, in combination with an arrangement on the breech block of thegun, comprising an electrical conductor, which is situated in andinsulated from the breechblock and leads to a contact-piece of theprimer, and a firing-pin, which is arranged in the breech-block forpercussion-firing.

A primer according to this invention is shown in section in theaccompanying drawings in Figure 1 and shown in firing position in a gunin Fig. 2.

The percussion-firing arrangement of the compound primer comprises aprimer-body consisting of a rear shell (1., of a material which is aconductor of electricity, and a forward metallic shell a, threaded andscrewed vil c, screwed into the shell a and between which and the solidhead of the shell a the percussion-cap b is held, priming composition d,loose granular powder j, and adetonating charge 6. The shell a has aboss 15 formed in its end and provided with a central open ing 14, saidboss serving to separate the granular powder from the primingcomposition, and.

each portion can be'separately loaded to fatcilitate the manufacture.

- In'Fig. 2 the primer is shown in position ready for firing in thebreech-block 3 at the firing end of the gun 4. The breech-block containsa suitable firing-sleeve 6, bayonetjointed to the sleeve 5, thatislikewisebayonet-jointed to the block, which is only shown in part. Thesleeve 6 carries the firing-pin .9, that is suitably propelled by aspring 25. NVhen the firing-pin is released, it will indent or perforatethe comparatively thin head of the metallic shell a, force the cap 19against the anvil, ignite the priming composition d, the loose granularpowderj, and then the detonating charge to fire the gun.

In order to electrically discharge the primer, the head of the shell ais provided with nonconductive coating or face '11 and a conductivecontact 7L. This contact is'counected to an insulated wire f, wound in agroove cut in theouter cylindrical wall of the shell a, and is thenconnected to one end of a bare incandescible wire g, that has itsopposite end connected to the interior wall of the shell a or passesthrough this wall. This wire also passes through the priming composition(1.

In orderto electrically fire,the breech-block is provided at the rearwith an insulating plate 7 and one 8 to insulate the head of the primerfrom the sleeve 6, which is connected by wire 11 to one pole of abattery 12. The other pole of the battery is connected by wire 13 to asuitable circuit-closer or firing-button 10, and this is connected byinsulated Wire 9 to the part 3 and passes through it, so that the end ofthe wire forms a suitable contact with the shell a or the end of theincandescihlo wire passing through the shell. Closing the button 10,circuit will be made from battery 12, wire 11, sleeve 6, contact h,insulated wire f, incaudescible w-ire g, through the wall of the shell aor directly to contact end of insulated wire 9, button 10, and wire-13back to battery, thereby heating the wire gand ignitiug the priming d,which iguites the granular powder j through the central opening 14: inthe boss 15, formed on the inner threaded end of theshell a, thatcarriesthe detonating charge.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A primer comprising a metallic shell formed in two parts,an anvil anda percussioncap held between the anvil and head, and a primingcomposition in one of the parts, a detonating charge and loose granularpowder in the other part, substantially as described.

2. A primer comprising a metallic shell having a central bore and solidhead, an anvil screwed into the bore, a percussion-cap held between theanvil and head, a priming composition filling the bore, an outer shellprovided with a perforated end screwed to the first-mentioned one andcontaining loose granular powder, and a detonating charge,substantiallyas described.

3. A primer comprisinga metallic shell, an anvil screwed therein, apercussion-cap held between the anvil and the head of the shell, apriming composition therein, an incandescible wire passing through thepriming composition, means Qfor closing an electric circuit through thewire and loose granular powder, and a detonating charge beyond thepriming composition, substantially as described.

t. A primer comprising a metallic shell, an insulating-covering for the.head of the shell,

an anvil screwed in the shell, a percussioncap held between the anviland the head of the shell, an electrical contact on the head of theshell, an incandescible wire within the shell and an insulated wireconnecting the contact and incandescible wire, and a priming compositionsurrounding the incandescible wire adapted to be ignited by thepercussioncap substantially as described.

5. A primer comprising a metallic shell having an external groove, aninsulating-covering for the head of the shell, an anvil screwed in theshell, a percussion-cap held between the anvil and head of the shell, anincandescible wire in the shell, an electrical contact in the head ofthe shell and an insulated wire in said groove connecting the contactand incandescible wire, a second shell screwed into the end of the firstone and containing loose granular powder, and a detonating chargecontained in said second shell, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CONSTANTIN VON GORTZ. \Vitnesses:

GUSTAV PHILIPPOTSOH, ALVESTO S. HOGUE.

